


Hikari

by LionessRinoaVIII



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Aerith Gainsborough Lives, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Clerith Month, F/M, Light Angst, My First Work in This Fandom, Please Don't Hate Me, Post Final Fantasy VII - Disc 1, Pre-Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, Romantic Fluff, Tragic Romance, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-12 13:08:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18447206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LionessRinoaVIII/pseuds/LionessRinoaVIII
Summary: My version of how Cloud ended up under contract with Hades and "searching for his light" in Kingdom Hearts. Kingdom Hearts is akin to Final Fantasy VII's The Promise Land, and Aeris has been living there in the afterlife since her death at the end of disk 1. When you "die" in The Promise Land, you return to Kingdom Hearts and you are reincarnated back into the Lifestream. Cloud uses a piece of Materia cursed by Hades to travel to find his light...and things don't go exactly as planned. They never do. Shameless Clerith reunion fic.





	Hikari

**Author's Note:**

  * For [My friend Randi who introduced me to the game](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=My+friend+Randi+who+introduced+me+to+the+game).



                Cloud stared at the bright patch of lilies in the empty and desolate church with a frown. All this time he had visited her here, prayed for her, talked to her…but today…today he felt alone. It wasn’t bearable. How long had it been now since he’d seen her smile or heard her laugh? How long ago had he watched her long silken braid sway with the feminine curve of her hips, or gazed into her lovely sea green eyes from across a room? It wasn’t fair. She had been so full of light, Sephiroth couldn’t have stolen a better person from all the Planet. Cloud grimaced at his own melancholy and knelt before the garden, fingers delicately brushing a soft white petal. She had also been so, so soft. “Have you moved on, Aeris?” He whispered, a hot tear sliding down his cheek as he received no response. “I suppose I can’t blame you…fleeing this awful hellscape. It treated the best of us without mercy…you deserved…we deserved…there is nothing good left here.”

                “Nothing? Not even me?”

Cloud didn’t have to turn toward the voice; he knew who was there. “You know what I mean, Tifa.”

                “Do I?” She accused in an attempt at rousing some form of emotion from her friend, though his eyes remained blank and wet. She gritted her teeth, brown doe eyes filling with unshed tears. She just got so frustrated when he was like this. It was as if nothing she could ever do would be good enough, she would never compare to the girl he barely even knew. “I won’t wait for you forever, Cloud. One day you’re going to have to realize she isn’t coming back. I know she was our friend, I miss her too, but there are real living breathing people out here that care about you and you just…don’t care.”

                She waited a moment, for a response that never came, and she sighed heavily. “Fine.” Even as she stormed from the church, red boots clanking angrily after her footsteps, part of her hoped he would call out to her. _Anything…say anything to stop me._ She wished to herself as she walked out into the chilly night air. No word from him was spoken, no muscle moved. He let her walk out without so much as an apathetic grunt, no acknowledgment that she’d ever even been there. Her tears spilled, and she ran passed the small camp her teammates had made outside when they had stopped for the night. She needed to be alone for a while.

                The others watched Tifa quietly as she sat herself off to the side, under a nearby embankment. Cid swore under his breath at the sight, making somber eye contact with Yuffie from across the fire.   “Shit. That kid’s got some nerve makin’ her bawl like that. He’s out of his goddamn mind.”

                Yuffie shrugged. “I think Aeris meant a lot more to him than any of us realized. Trips back to Midgar haven’t been so easy since…well, you know…it’s hard for him.” Her thoughts trailed off as she watched the fire flicker and dance, admiring the spark and heat. “They had passion.”

                Cid snorted. “What kind of passion could you possibly have with a girl who never shows her ankles?”

Yuffie wrinkled her nose. “Cid! Not what I meant!”  She chewed on her cheek for a moment before continuing. “He was in love with her. This problem isn’t going away, not until I fix it.”

It was Cid’s turn to make a face. “Fix it? And just how the hell do you plan on doin’ that?”

A wide grin graced the ninja’s features and she reached for the small sack she kept near her bedroll.  She snickered to herself as she peered in at all her loot, stolen from countless enemies and friends alike. Nothing made Yuffie happier than stolen Materia…except maybe her knack for thievery actually bringing some good into the lives of those she cared about. “Voila!” She announced happily, more than proud of herself as she presented Cid with a piece of dark blue Materia. It radiated a horrible, negative aura, and Cid scooted away from it as best he could.

“How is your good for nothing kleptomania gonna help anyone? And would you put that thing down? It’s kinda freakin’ me out.”

Yuffie puffed her bottom lip out in a pout. “You can’t say that, you don’t even know what it does! I stole it for Cloud!” She insisted, waving it around in his face as she inched closer and lowered her voice. “You remember that demon we encountered a few paces east from Nibelheim? It was carrying this. I took it to a Materia shop on our last stop, they told me it was Wish Materia.”

Cid blinked at her as if she were stupid. “Never heard of it. If you were smart, you’d put that thing back where it belongs and stay out of Cloud’s business. No amount of magic is going to fix somethin’ like this.”

Yuffie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest with a huff. Cid didn’t understand, he was always such a grump. “Stay out of Cloud’s business, he says, as if he weren’t just sticking his nose in ten seconds ago.” She muttered, turning her back to him as she did so. She stood suddenly, stretching her limbs and tucking strands of onyx hair neatly behind her ears. “I’m gonna go talk to him.”

Cid waved her off dismissively, though the more he sat there the less it sat right with him. Something was off about that Materia. Materia is crystallized Mako, it is made of the very Lifestream of the Planet. Cid had to wonder what kind of soul had to have come from the portion of the Lifestream that created that Materia for it to pulsate with such an evil energy. It was something he just couldn’t shake, and he clamored to his feet with a grunt. “Kid, wait. I’m comin’ with ya.”

Inside the church, Cloud had finally moved from his kneeling position and was tending quietly to Aeris’s flowers. No matter how far he ever traveled from Midgar, nothing was ever going to happen to this garden or church as long as there was still breath in his body. He would always come back to this place. He would never forget buying that flower from her in the slums when they first met. The way her face lit up that he’d even thought to stop and speak to her—the way just looking at her almost changed his entire outlook on protecting the Planet. He remembered thinking that if there was anything in the world as radiant as the creature before him, maybe AVALANCHE was on to something after all. His lips curled into a bittersweet smile at the memory, and he barely took any notice to Yuffie barreling in through the front door.

“CLOUD!” She shouted, dragging her heels across the floor in an attempt at slowing her speed as she almost ran right into him.

“Don’t step on the flowers.” He muttered absentmindedly, earning a chuckle from his friend as she grabbed for his hand and gave him a sharp tug toward her and Cid.

“Forget about the silly flowers, I have something that’ll help.”

                Cloud turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. He sat his watering can to the side and hummed curiously at his companions. It was odd to see Cid look so disgruntled, like he was worried for his wellbeing. It was almost funny, though he felt for his armors Materia slots just in case. He knew how Yuffie was. “Help with…what, exactly?”

                “Aeris!” She exclaimed, holding her hands out before him in excitement, clasped tightly together.

Cid let out a groan and shook his head wildly. “No, I’m tellin’ ya, this has stupid idea written all over—”

                Cloud cut him off, a serious look crossing his face. His eyebrows furrowed and his intensity in his eyes made even Yuffie back up a few paces. “What about her?”

                Yuffie opened her hands, presenting him with the shiny blue Materia like it was made of solid gold. She could see the confusion written on his face as he made eye contact with Cid, and she cleared her throat, demanding his attention. Her eyes were shining with pride; she truly believed this would be the answer to all his problems. “This is the beginning of your new life with Tifa.” A haze of confusion clouded his eyes and it was clear that he didn’t understand. Yuffie giggled, tossing the Materia to him as she elaborated. “It’s a Wish Materia. Once you equip it, it allows the user one wish before it becomes useless. It’s incredibly rare. I just thought…you know, if you wished your pain away everything could be back to normal again. You don’t have to be sad anymore.” She offered with a gentle smile.

                Cloud grimaced as he rolled the orb around in his hand, though his heart was thumping wildly inside his chest. This was his opportunity…Yuffie had brought him the chance of a life time. He didn’t care about his pain or sadness, those were arbitrary things. Cloud didn’t give a shit about himself; he _deserved_ to suffer after everything he’d done in his life…or…everything he had _failed_ to do. No, if he were allowed one wish, it wasn’t to be wasted on him. This was for _her_. He stuck the Materia in one of his empty slots, and a Cheshire cat grin broke across Yuffie’s face.

                “There you go! First and last time you’ll ever be _given_ Materia by me, you’re welcome!” The bright cheer that seemed to glitter off of her faltered slightly, however, as she heard the words coming out of her friend’s mouth. Her large chocolate eyes widened, and she gripped the side of Cid’s shirtsleeve. “Wait…that’s not what I…”

                Cid snorted. “I told ya this was a bad—”

                “I wish for Aeris. I wish for my light back.” Cloud whispered, his hand clutched over the Materia slot for dear life. His whole body was shaking with nerves, anxious that it might not work, that it might break his already fractured heart.

                Cid had finally had enough. “Goddamn it Cloud I mean it! You can’t just play with this shit, it’s serious! Yuffie, I _told_ you!” He cracked his fist hard against the wall of the church, rage turning his face red as he tried to shake some sense into Cloud. It was already too late, the wish had been spoken, and the Materia turned pitch black and clattered to the ground.

                “Cloud…” Yuffie whimpered, falling to her knees as the ground began to tremble beneath them. The spot where the Materia had fallen was now consumed by bright blue flame, and it traveled up Cloud’s body like a wildfire. “CLOUD!!!!”

                He couldn’t hear her. His body was searing, feeling as if the flames were tearing his limbs apart piece by piece. The ground beneath his feet was suddenly no more, and he tumbled into a deep dark nothing. His screams echoed through the void for what seemed like an eternity, as if he had summoned the deepest darkest pit of Hell and cast himself inside.  He was burning in his own misery, and yet, the only thing on his mind was her. He would fall through a thousand Hells if it meant bringing her back to him, though he couldn’t fathom why she’d ever be sentenced to an eternal abyssal damnation.

                He was falling faster now, gaining momentum as the fire vanished from his body and he slammed hard into the floor beneath him. He attempted to catch his ragged breath, flinching in the darkness as he heard a loud snap in the distance. A dim light appeared from nowhere, and he glanced about his surroundings with caution. His skin was somehow unmarred, and he sat upon a stain glass circle encased in oblivion. A sleeping princess was painted on the glass, and her pale alabaster skin seemed to blind him in the tar-like gloom. He winced at her brightness, and shakily climbed to his feet. “Is anybody there?”

                There was a cackle, from whence he could not discern, and the blue flames fizzled back into vision from afar…this time, in the shape of a man. “Well, well, well, it’s not every day someone strikes up a contract with me, it’s almost always the other way around.” The silhouette sauntered forward steadily, and Cloud pulled his sword off his back with a swoosh. It cackled again, louder than before, and when it’s face came into vision, it leered at him with a viscous smile. “Save that for the Games, kid.”     


End file.
